


Avatar: Beacon of Hope

by baconbits1760



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra, Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Multi, Originally Posted Elsewhere, Other, Post-Avatar: The Legend of Korra
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-12
Updated: 2018-02-12
Packaged: 2019-03-17 06:19:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,765
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13653210
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/baconbits1760/pseuds/baconbits1760
Summary: The world has lost what little hope they preserved...Korra has passed. Mako has disappeared. And as the Earth Kingdom Rebels begin swarming the surrounding nations, Bolin and Asami are left searching for the next Avatar. But as they approach the last cities of the United Earth States, their hope diminishes. Time is running out and the rebels draw near. They WILL find the avatar, but will he be the light they need so much in this dark world?





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This prologue and the first 3 chapters were written in 2015, so my writing is kind of garbage, I promise that the chapters that follow these first 3 get increasingly better~

                                       Bolin tosses and turns in his sleep, his dream is more than disturbing. 

"Bolin! HELP!" Mako screams, thrashing as an attacker slams a ball of lightning into his side. "AUGH!" He cries. The panic in his voice is unbelievably out of character. Bolin feels dread wrench at his stomach, nothing has can stop them from taking him away. The alleyway around him is so dark, that Bolin can't sense his brother. "Mako?! I can't see you Mako....Mako?!" He cries into the night. Silence crushes his efforts. Everything is quiet, like the aftermath of a tragedy. Bolin turns around and the alleyway swirls into a mass of blue and brown. He closes his eyes in an attempt to shield his eyes from the dizzying effects. The atmosphere changes.

   He opens his eyes and realizes that he's is standing in the doorway to a hut. Someone touches his hand gently making him flinch. "Bolin. hurry, she's been asking for you." Asami says as she ushers him to the bed in the corner. A tan woman lays there, her brown hair strewn about randomly, and he can tell she's exhausted. "Korra." He says forcing a smile. "Hi, I'm sorry I haven't been here. I was sear-" "Bolin, is Mako alright?" She asks worriedly. His chest tightens at the mention of his brother. "I don't know, Korra, I'm sorry." He can feel hot tears climbing up in his eyes. "B-But I'm sure he'll be fine. Yeah?" Korra begins to laugh and winces. "I'm sorry.... I have to go." She says hopelessly, closing her eyes. Bolin can't stop himself," Korra, wait." She opens one eye, "What is it? Come on bolin I'm dying here." He sighs, "I promised myself I'd keep it a secret but, do you remember when you ... uh kissed Mako?" He says his cheeks turning pink. "Bolin, is this necessary?" Asami says obviously annoyed. "Yes it is. Well, Korra do you?" He looks to her to continue. "Well, after our match you asked me if we could still be friends, and I asked you if we had fun and said that we would always be friends right?" She nods slowly. "Well-er.. I lied. I said what you wanted to hear, so I wouldn't upset you more. But I still wanted to see you as more than a friend. You were happy so I acted happy. I knew-" He looked up at the ceiling inhaling sharply. "I knew you wanted Mako, not someone like me. So I never said it." He looks Korra in the eye. "I love you, Korra. And I always will." Korra blushes. "I love you too, Bolin. Tell Mako I miss him. And Asami." Asami leans closer. "I love you babe." Bolin looks up in shock. He grabs Asami and pulls both girls into a hug, Korra laughs, then coughs. She grips the arm wrapped around her and closes her eyes gently. "You've made my time here so much better, thank you..." "She takes another shaky breath. "Bolin." Her warm body goes limp in his arms. He pulls away and looks in horror as the Avatar he's loved dies.  He turns toward Asami, tears streaming down his cheeks, but she's disappeared and has been replaced by a cliff and a sunny sky. 

No. Not this one. Please! Not this one! A group of happy airbenders are circling around the area. Opal waves giddily at Bolin as she circles around him. She dips down to see what the others are looking at and gasps. A rebel Earth Kingdom flag is raised high in the air, the rebels shouting an attack call.  They shoot flaming arrows at the airbenders closest to them.The airbenders watch in shock as the troops pull out strange black circles and toss the onto the ground below. The peculiar objects begin emitting a high-pitched screeching sounds that throw the liquid inside your eardrum off-balance, rendering you unable to bend. Bolin realizes in horror where the airbenders are, and in a single instance they are thrown out of the sky and come crashing to the ground. "Ah! OPAL NO!!!!" He reaches out to catch her hand. She screams and desperately tries to lunge towards him, her hand touching his, but misses his grip. He leans over the side of the cliff just as his wife hits the ground with a deafening slam. "OPAL!"

 He shoots up slamming his head into the frame of his bed. "Urgh" He rubs the bump tenderly, being careful not to press too hard. "Bolin?" Are you okay? You did it again." Asami calls knocking on the door gently. He sighs and curls into a ball. "Yeah, I'm okay. I'll try harder not to...sorry" He says covering his face with his hands to shield her from seeing tears. God stop crying! Why am I crying, Mako wouldn't cry like this if I went missing.... He thought angrily, wiping the tears off his face. He sniffs and turns toward his nightstand, glancing mournfully at the calendar. He already knew what day it was, he'd been dreading it for months now: "Happy birthday...Mako"


	2. Book 1: Revolt (Chapter 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The beginning of the next avatar cycle, and the beginning of a new light for so many souls

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, this chapter was written in 2015, it’s kind of really not my favorite, yes it’s confusing so I’m sorry. I hope y’all just try and have fun with it

Maya slams her fists onto the counter, stopping every child in their tracks.

"Now! As I was saying: WHERE IS YOUR BROTHER?!?!" She barks angrily, glaring at Oka. The scrappy boy shrinks in his chair sheepishly. "Well?!" She prods him with her finger, pushing it in deeper until he squeals: "THE ROOF!! He's on the roof! Please stop pressing your finger into my side!" He squeaks loudly. She pulls away and he shivers in fear as she slams the front door behind her. "She-she's scary." He says hiding behind a pillow. 

 

The wind blows gently, caressing Rin's face with warmth and compassion. "If only others would treat me like you treat me Wind spirit." A greenish glow cast a light on his face, as a small round creature appears. It smiles brushing his cheek with its stubby arm, he laughs, petting its head happily. "At least you're here for me right?" The spirit nods, "I love you Rin-" It glances toward the city worriedly, "But I fear that you must be leaving me soon." The spirit sighs sadly, its aura a soft blue. "What do you mean; I will be leaving the house? Or will I die? Or will I finally be able to see the spirit world?" He says tilting his head to the side, curiosity getting the best of him. The spirit shakes its head, "I do not know, but you will be leaving." "RIN!!!! GET YOUR BUTT DOWN HERE! NOW!!!" Rin flinches at the sound of his mother screeching. The Wind spirit looks at him and begins fading away, "Goodbye Rin. I must leave to avoid their presence." "Presence? Who's presence? Who is 'they'?!" He calls to it as it disappears into the blue sky above him. "No... Don't go..." He says reaching up toward his friend longingly, but by now it's gone, leaving him to face his mother alone. He sighs and crawls down the vines that lead to the first floor window.

 

Bolin felt an elbow jab his side, he jumps, his spine prickling nervously. "Sorry! I didn't mean to scare you!" Asami's warm hands are on his waist. He blushes and points to her hands, his eyebrow twitching. "Y-your hands...I um- could you....um" He stutters, obviously embarrassed. She pauses, silence surrounds them. ".... SORRY!!!! AUGH, HOW EMBARRASSING!!!" She gasps loudly, removing her hands. She blushes profusely, ringing her hands habitually. He clears his throat awkwardly and begins walking up the hill towards the next house.

"Uh, before the whole..." He looks away from her, "Yeah, didn't you want something?" He coughs into his elbow. Her eyebrows arch in surprise, "Oh yeah! I forgot to ask you, what were you staring at a minute ago?" He shrugs, "I dunno, I guess I just drifted off." "Oh, okay..." Asami mutters tiredly. Bolin watches as she pivots on her foot and whips out a glove lined in bronze wiring. He stumbles backward, falling onto the ground and crawling away from her. "What are you going to do with that?!" She steps towards him, her feet touching the ground in an almost perfect gait. "Now you listen to me, you passive ladies' man! I am sick of your moping, whining and night terrors. IF YOU NEED HELP THEN ASK FOR IT, other than that... I can't help but get angry. I know you took a backseat on the first few adventures, but you've got people who need you to be brave now. You don't even think about how stressed I am do you?! I lost my wife just like you did; I lost my parents just like you did! I lost Mako. Just...." She stops, her eyes full of pain. "Just like you did. we've gone through the same amount trauma, so why is it that I should take charge of this search. Why should I?!" Bolin looks at the ground; his face hidden in shadow. "Well?! Why do I have to be in charge of searching for the Avatar?! Huh?!" She shouts angrily leaning over to make her point.

"Because while you relaxed in the Southern Water tribe and lived your freaking lives out, I searched for my brother. Alone." Bolin slowly lifts his head, revealing an angry sneer. "You two had both given up on him, you had decided that he was dead! AND WHAT DID I DO?! That's right! I searched my heart out for him. Because-"His voice cracking. "Because I knew he was still out there. You don't know what it's like to grow up with loss on your shoulders. YOU BARELY EVEN KNEW YOUR MOTHER! I grew up on the streets, with him! He was the only family I ever knew! My parents died together, In FRONT OF ME! Why shouldn't you take charge of something for once?" He slumps onto his knees weakly.

 

"Bolin... I-""Don't apologize; you would never know what I have been through." She inhales sharply. "You're right I don't, I have no empathy for you. I would never be able to relate. ... So what do you want me to do?" He grabs the dirt and draws his finger through it like a sword. "I don't know." He says sighing tiredly. "Well, what good is talking about it and getting angry at me for my lack of empathy? I want to help you. I want to relate so I can assure you that you're not alone. But you won't take it, so what do you want me to do for you?" He shrugs, rubbing his neck. "Well then until you figure your problems out, I want to see you happier, so buckle up and enjoy our time here. You might be the one to find the Avatar." He stands up and lowers his head, nodding. "You're right. I'm gonna figure this out, okay?" He looks at her, his green eyes reflecting her exhausted face. She fixes her hair, her eyes watering slightly Keep it together, Asami... don't show your weakness, a strong woman never does, so don't fall for your emotions. She sniffs, her body quivering. Bolin's eyes soften, "Hey, don't cry. We'll be alright. Come on, stop it." She sobs, wiping her eyes in vain. "Hey, I'll do the talking okay? Why don't you cool off. Yeah?" He smiles sweetly. Her eyes began watering twice as fast. She rushes towards him, wrapping her arms around his waist. His arms move back, his chest is forward slightly, he stutters:" Uh, Asami, what are you-" He realizes how much stress she's been under and gives in. He wraps his muscle-clad arms around her shoulders carefully. "I know..sh.. wipe those tears and let's get going." He says patting her back twice and pulling her away. "Okay! See? We're good now right? no more screaming matches. Alright?" He badgers. She laughs "Fine, fine! No more!" She begins walking up the hill. Occasionally eyeing Bolin who seems to be more energetic than before. Good. If anyone, he deserves to be happy... 

Asami begins rapping her knuckles on the oak door in front of them. A muffled shout comes from inside, "Hold on, I'll get it!" Bolin distracts himself by looking at the architecture. The creaky old house had peeling paint that chipped off in chaotic bunches. The wooden frames on the windows were in serious need of refurbishing, and the pipes had been repaired poorly one too many times. Looks better than our old place... he blinks and contemplates why he's judging the state of someone's house. Just then the door swings open and hits the back of the wall, its hinges screeching in protest. A teenage boy is standing in the door frame, his messy, chestnut hair is tied up in a high ponytail. "Hey, is there something I can help you with?" He asks scratching his chin. "Yes. Hello, we are with the-" "We're with the Avatar search group, we're looking for the new Avatar in the cycle. I'm Asami, and this is Bolin." She goes to shake his hand, Bolin realizing too late which hand she's using. "Asami! your glove-" Electricity pulses through the kid's arm, his eyes go wide showing off the brown irises that dwell in them. In that instant fear and nerves caused his mind to twist and curl up. He stood there motionless as the boy was about to become bison jerky. The ball of lightning flows back down into his hand and turns into fire. "Whew, boy! That was way too close!" He chuckles kindheartedly. The wrinkles around his eyes make him look more like an adult than the teenager that he is. Asami's skin has become a pale pink, she shakes out of her shock and begins apologizing. "Oh, oh my goodness, I am so, SO sorry.... um..." Bolin clears his throat, saving her from further embarrassment . "Well, after that stunt... would it be too much to ask if we could to speak to your....er... guardian?" Bolin caught himself before saying the word "Parents". He knew what it was like to feel like people were purposely taunting him when they said that word.

The boy pauses and glances over his shoulder "Uh. Let me check if she's inside, stay here. If you don't mind." Asami nods "It's fine! Go ahead." "Thanks." He says running inside. The door swings shut behind him the frame shaking in its wake, leaving the pair to sit awkwardly awaiting the boy's return. Asami looked down at the ground, shuffling her feet nervously. Bolin glancing at her as she meets his gaze. She turns away, her cheeks turning a rosy blush. Why is she blushing?! "Hey..." He smiles leaning towards her. "Don't worry, we all make dumb mistakes" She laughs, "Yeah but mostly you and -" Suddenly she slows her role, realizing how touchy the subject of Mako was to Bolin. "....Mako" She finishes. Bolin looks down, "Yeah..." He laughs sadly, "He was always so awkward. Especially around you guys....I-" His voice cracks again. "I just wish he was here..." Asami nods, "We all do, Bolin." 

The door swings open again, surprising them. A brown haired woman with bags under her eyes slinks into Bolin's view. "Yes?" "Hello we're with the Avatar Search Party. May we come in?" Bolin's appearance transforms into a somber man as he says the usual speech. The woman stands up straighter, as if something crawled up her back during Bolin's statement. "Ah. Yes come in. I have two sons that are about nine" She motions for them to follow behind as she strides towards one of the many rooms on the first floor. "Rin, Oka! Come here for a moment, we have visitors." She say the last word like it's a threat. As the boys come hustling down the stairs Bolin notices something about each of them. The one trying to pull his dirt covered shirt down had flamboyantly white hair, it's more of a blonde than white. He looks up in time to notice that he's being watched. His eyes are like a silver moon...  His brother is trying to fix his hair so it looks remotely presentable, young boy looks at Bolin. A shiver runs down his spine when he notices the color of his irises. His eyes are like a golden sun... Asami touches his shoulder, making him jump a good six inches off the ground. "S-Sorry." She says stifling a laugh. He feels a smile tug at the corner of his mouth as the two boys giggle. "Ma'am, can you introduce us to your sons?" The woman nods proudly and walks over to the white haired son. 

   "This is Oka, he's nine years old. He can earth bend, and as far as we know that's all he can do." Her face changes when she reaches for her other son, like a bit of anger mixed thoroughly into her emotions for him. "And this is Rin, Oka's twin brother. He is a non-bender." Bolin looked up, furrowing his brow. "Well, we'll see about that." Maya tilts her head in confusion, "What do you mean by that?" Suddenly a wave of nervousness washed over Bolin, "Well, sometimes a child doesn't show their ability until they hit puberty." Rin sighs quietly, and glances downward. Maya arcs an eyebrow judgmentally, her mouth twisting into an angry sneer. "Yeah, well he has less potential than a sack of rocks." "Ma'am please, give the child the benefit of the doubt, I-" Asami clears her throat, interrupting the tension. "Maya- may I call you that- Maya may we please see them outside in order to assess their abilities?" Maya rolls her eyes exasperatedly. "Fine." She mumbles and leads them out to the back yard.


	3. Book 1: Revolt (Chapter 2)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last of the 2015 chapters, thanks for sticking with it if you did, the next chapters have been slowly edited and constantly inmproved for the last 3 years

                                    The wind was the only refreshing thing about the afternoon air.

 

Rin was doing his best not to scowl. He disliked being a spectacle, and as he eyes his mother's smirk from the sidelines, he realizes she knows it too. He truly despised his mother the only way you can when you're related to them: Through passive and nurtured hatred. With little rebellious actions over the past nine years, Rin had made his way to the top of his mother's "black-list". He thought this was a victory in every way. He'd always thought of himself as independent, constantly making his own food, cleaning his spots in the house, and caring for the objects he used. He barely needed her anyway.

The sound of rock separating itself from the earth drew his attention back to the present.  That awkward earth bender was forming a large platform out of the backyard, dirt crumbled and splattered limply at his feet. He jabs his heel into the ground and pivots, creating a large practice dummy out of the extra dirt. "Alright." He turned and nodded to the boys a few feet below him. "So do I have any volunteers?" The oaf said it rather slowly as if testing out who was the most eager of the two.  

 Nobody moves. He scratches his head, dumbfounded by the lack of cooperation from the boys. Finally, after what feels like an eternity, the bender turns and points to Rin. A small wave of dread races up from Rin's hands, knowing how little he wanted to participate in this unnecessary test. "Why don't you come up here and show me, or, at least, try to show me, what you can do." "Uh..." He shakes his head and stiffly points to Oka. 

   He can feel beads of sweat make their way from his hair onto his green headband. The old rag was the last remnant of his old house. The boy could barely remember what the original fabric looked like. "VWOOOSSSSSSH" Something hisses as it flings past Rin's shoulder. Judging by the volume of the sound, whatever that object was, it was rather large. Again a large hiss echoes towards Rin's ears, and he finds himself moving instinctively before he can determine where the object is spiraling to. 

As he is dodging he manages to fling his head towards Bolin, who is harvesting yet another boulder. He groans inwardly and prepares for another attack. But something small inside him spoke: " Take the dirt and move it to under his feet..." And as Bolin flings another piece of the earth, Rin ducks and swerves to the side, launching the dirt with his feet. Then whips his head up in time to see the man launch his body forward. A frontal attack?! What was that old geezer thinking?! He can easily dodge that. And just as Rin thought, he dodged it by running around him and placing himself in the middle of the field. 

Again the little voice spoke, "Now take the water from the grass. But do it while he's attacking, or you'll get found out." Rin nods tartly and waits. And just as before Bolin charges in the young boy's direction, Rin narrowly missing the bulk of the grown man's arm as he slides nimbly to the side. Then he quickly moves his hands in a circular motion, trying to gather all the moisture from the ground below. Suddenly the man swerves and fires a stone at Rin's hands, forcing the voice to speak aloud once again, "Earth-", Rin swung a chunk up and around, colliding with the oncoming missile. The man throws up his bushy eyebrows and smiles, wielding yet another chunk of crumbling dirt a few feet from his body. "Finally, we're getting somewhere!" He grunts launching it. This one cascades weakly to the side as Rin takes a step forward.  "Fire-". The little voice was louder this time, Rin tucks his elbows in the snaps them forward, creating a large scorching burst of neon red. 

  There was an awkward silence within the backyard, the pretty middle-aged woman that was talking to his mother now stands gaping at the young boy. A small bead of sweat rolls warily down his forehead onto the tip of his nose and waits tentatively. The man who was mid-bending drops his ammo to stare at the nine-year-old. "Did you just...fire bend?" Oka squeaks. The mixture of outrage and surprise in his voice leads Rin to believe that he has finally outclassed his brother. Suddenly the voice speaks as if it is standing next to him, "Air.". The voice seems to command his movements as he can feel a force begin to rise. He stamps a foot into the muddied ground and pivots, launching his left arm into the air and his right into his side.  A gust of wind circles Oka and moves the bangs out of his eyes, showing the wide sapphire blue eyes that rest beneath them. 

"Water!" Whatever force had been slowing rising in his throat now came up. He lurched as the voice sang aloud, "This boy has been chosen to be your ray of hope. Take him, train him, and prepare him for the war. He shall be ready to fight the war of the Spirits." His head turns without command towards Bolin, who is watching awestruck. "You do not have time to waste. Leave this forsaken land and take to the skies. For River and Ocean will begin their battle-" Again his head whips to the side and glares at Oka, who is cowering behind Asami.  "Born of same blood, inhabited by souls of night and day, brother against brother, lover against lover, one shall not remain the same, the awakening of the River's hatred only brings the Ocean satisfaction. Bear no evil whim or all shall end in fire and blood." 

 

It feels like a weight had been resting on his shoulders, for years, it stood there unnoticed. Finally, its chains that bound it to him had snapped, leaving him to lull and wobble. Things begin to twist sideways and move too fast. Was he in the air? He can't keep his mind on anything substantial, the world pivots and churns away. He feels something wrap around him. There is enough consciousness to lift his arm and grip onto the figure's bicep. Then allows it to fall as he loses the last bit of consciousness as he hears someone whispering comforting words to him.


	4. Book 1: Revolt (Chpt:3)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rin finds himself in a mysterious place with familiar faces

The airship was cold and grey, the wind howling faintly against its walls.

The room was painted a light green, with white curtains that swayed limply as sunlight dripped like rays if ruby onto the bed covers. As his eyes adjusted to the light, the idea dawned on him that he could not remember why or how he got under the sheets of this stranger's bed. Rin groaned and placed his head back onto the pillow. The ceiling, he noticed, had a strange mural painted onto it. It had a luminous glow that seemed entrancing. The actual glass was jagged and stained with color: pinks, greens, browns, blues. And as the light shining into the room swelled with the rising of the sun, the glimmer engulfed the glass. Illuminating it with screaming color. The image was of a brilliant cherry blossom tree. Looming over a landscape of greens and yellows, blue creatures swirled and roamed around the base of the brown trunk, while large flying animals flocked above, their patterns matching the clouds. For a minute he forgot about what was around him. Keeping his eyes open wide, he gazed blankly at the view. Suddenly a knock at the door interrupted him. A voice came from the other side, gently addressing him: "Apprentice Rin? Are you awake?"

Rin shot up and lunged for the end of the bed, yanking the nicely tucked corners from underneath the mattress as he shakily slides down the front of the bed frame. The cool floor under his feet gives him a small shock that wakes him up slightly.   
He promptly took a stride towards the metallic door and stumbled.  
His hands swing wildly trying catch himself, but nothing's there. The smack of his palms hitting the concrete floor sends a ringing up his arms and into his shoulder blades. He shivers and pulls himself up to look at his rosy fingers. "I’m sorry, did you say apprentice?" He stutters, his voice cracking.

Again the voice appears, adding a hint of question into its inquiry: "Are you alright? Did you fall?" A cold sweat starts to form at the base of his forehead as the owner of the voice puts a hand on the doorknob and turns it. The door swings open rather tentatively, allowing a small beam of light to cast itself onto Rin's face. He gives a weak smile as the voice is given a face.

It was a girl around his age, although he couldn't make out much of her features, he could tell she was pretty. And as she leaned in to get a closer look at his room, he noticed her eyes, which were brought out by the flower shaped comb that was tucked and weaved ever so neatly into her dark brown hair. Her eyes looked like the inside of a chalice filled with wine. Not that chalices were appealing to Rin, but there wasn't much else to describe them as. He could have described them as ruby pendants with flecks of copper, but that didn't give them justice. They were a dark, deep red, almost a purple or maroon. And there was a ring of gold that wrapped itself around the red, containing it and protecting it. Like a chalice to wine.

Her hair was done up in a popular style among the women in the Fire Nation, giving Rin the dreadful idea that he had been captured. The Avatar hoped something would click in his mind, he waited, staring blankly at this girl. He wracked his brain trying to configure some sort of answer, Why am I here, who took me, how long have I been asleep? But as the questions became blatantly unanswered, there was a seemingly dark spot in his memory. "Where...where am I?" He said nervously.

The young girl raised her eyebrows and smiled kindly. Rin returned a smile cautiously, "I can explain while I show you around."

 

She's lived on this airship all her life, or, at least, that's what he can assume. She walks backward across the courtyard while avoiding rocks and tree roots gracefully. And as all this is happening, she's explaining why he's here. Her hair sways gracefully at her shoulders, moving at its own mesmerizing pace. Suddenly he realizes that there is someone trying to help him understand what he doesn't remember and that he should probably pay attention to her. He focuses on her mouth and waits. "- And then I saw that you seemed kind of lonely, all cooped up in bed like that. So I sat next to you and read you my book. Its really good! I've got it in my room, if you ever want to read it you can just ask me." She suddenly became rather quiet, and motioned towards a small garden. A tree stood, towering in the center of the garden, with rose and marigold flowers prospering around its back. there were benches carved from stone.   
The tree was somewhat similar to the mural in his room, it was a blossom-ridden cherry tree, with large and winding roots that made their way throughout the entire garden. But as he peered around cautiously at the peaceful garden, there was an object that caught his eye. It was a brown hood, or at least what he assumed was a hood, hung respectfully inside a glass case. There was a figure reading beside the case. He was tall, and considerably handsome for his age, which Rin guessed was around 40. He had blue arrow tattoos that pointed towards the ends on his fingertips and one pointing down towards his nose.   
The man seemed to notice that he was being watched and calmly lifted the book away from his face allowing Rin to make out what he looked like. His eyes were extremely intelligent, and his frame was rather well-built. His hair was shaggy, like he had just gotten out of bed, but looked purposely tousled and well kept. Rin found this somehow impressive, seeing as how he was close to mastering the carefree hairstyle that so many magazine boasted about. Rin watched as another blue tattooed woman walked up to him and put her hand on his shoulder. She seemed to be closer to her mid-forties and he could tell they were related somehow. They looked fairly similar but it wasn't until he slammed into someone that he realized why.   
The impact felt like being slammed into a brick wall, hard and stony. The analogy could also be used to describe how the figure looked. He was worried for a millisecond that maybe he had accidently run into a statue. But the figure rocked backwards on its heel as the blow landed smoothly onto their chest. The sun was directly in his eyes, so the figure appeared as nothing more than a shadow in his vision, but Rin could make out enough to see a well chiseled man with a blue tattoo running down his forehead.   
"Sorry, that was rather rude of me." The man said, dropping onto one knee. He was now face to face with an air bender he had seen on the news many times before. "Are you alright?" He raised his bushy eyebrows at the young boy's silence and gave a confused but suave smile. "Seako?" The girl who had been guiding him came bouncing up beside him. "Yeah, what's up?" He was studying Rin as nonchalantly as he could. Rin tried opening his mouth to speak but no noise or words came to him. He had become mute.   
"Who is this boy?" The man asked, he seemed rather amused at the situation but there was something off about his eyes. "Meelo, this is Rin. Rin this is Meelo." Rin nodded but kept his gaze on Meelo's face. He couldn't seem to find the problem but it was obvious there was something wrong. "Nice to meet you. But to be very frank...why are you here?"   
Ron blinked and managed a small smile, "It.... It's a long story."


	5. Book 1: Revolt (Chpt: 4)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Events begin to unfold to people in different places

Varrick Junior, CEO of Varrick-Li Industries was combing through the blue prints for the newest model of a 186-Airship, when someone entered the workshop. He knew someone was there but couldn't be bothered to try and welcome them, courtesy came second to creativity.   
Their footsteps were cautious and nearly silent, as if the intruder had been planning something carefully. The only thing that made Varrick think something was off was the slight clack of heels. His wife had come home early today because she hadn't been feeling well, and she was all the way in main manor, so he lifted his head slowly from his work and let it lead him in the direction of the intruder. There was another sound that made Varrick suspicious: it was a slow dripping. Whatever liquid was hitting the concrete, it was not thin enough to be water. There were no leaky pipes in his work office, and the smell of iron began to waft towards the extremely untidy CEO.   
"Riana? Is that you darling?" He managed to force an exhausted smile onto his sun-kissed face. His chair creaked slightly as he swiveled it around to face the person behind him. "I thought you were feeling-" He stopped to absorb the woman hobbling towards him. It was Riana, but she was injured, blood soaking the top of her forehead and trailing down her neck and left shoulder. Her hair was wet, it curled around her cheeks and upper chest, and tears were trailing down the creases next to her eyes. He stood up and took a stride towards his loving wife, but she skittered painfully away from his touch. "N-no. Varrick, run." He laughed shakily, "What are you talking about sweet heart? You're hurt, let me help you." Varrick reached out to cup his hand around her clean cheek, but she leaned out of reach. "Varrick run! Ple-ease!" He had just locked eyes with her when another pair off feet appeared behind her. Riana let out a small cry as the intruder moved their arms rhythmically. "Varrick Junior." A huge stone rock was hovering above his head ominously. "You have failed the earth empire." The last thing he heard was his wife's scream as the impact of the stone on his skull buried all sense of time and relevance.


End file.
